End of Silence

I just got the text message from SXSW.

Waterloo Records (NW corner of 6th and Lamar) is selling SXSW wristbands as of right now. 2 per person. Cash or credit cards.

Don’t kill anyone on the way down there.

The Statesman tends to be a punching bag around here and, with headlines like this one found on the front page yesterday, they’re going to have a hard time shaking that perception. They’re now inventing words just like the current President that we inflicted on the world.

I’m not sure which language they’re using for this headline, but Webster tells me that “minicity” isn’t a word in the English language. The online version of the article repeats the mistake. I’m too lazy to take a screen shot in case they change it. Who knows if they’ll correct it, but Google helpfully suggests that maybe I meant “mini city” when I did a search. It doesn’t stop them from presenting the Statesman article as the second hit on the search for the word.

Wow. I just saw the news on Statesman and News8Austin that Dennis Johnson, coach of the NBA Development League Austin Toros, died today at the age of only 52.

Anybody my age remembers DJ as point guard for the Celtics. I’d been meaning to get down to the Convention Center and check them out, especially with DJ at the helm. I guess I’ve missed my chance. My condolences to his family and the team.

Hyde Park Theatre is giving you one last shot at checking out St. Nicholas this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The original run was last November and there were several performances during Frontera Fest this month. I caught one of the Frontera performances and wasn’t disappointed. Ken Webster’s experiences in all aspects of theater (acting, directing, running HPT) inform his performance of a cynical Irish theater critic who thinks he’s seen it all until he meets up with a group of vampires. The dark comedy is engrossing with a minimal amount of lighting and set design. It’s all Ken and he does an amazing job. If you
don’t get out for much local theater (and, honestly, I don’t), you should get off your ass and check this one out.

This special return engagement runs at 8:00 PM Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 22 – 24, 2007.

Thursday is Pay What You Can Night; Friday and Saturday tickets are $15 ($13 for students, seniors, and ACOT members). Hyde Park Theatre is located at 511 W. 43rd Street. For reservations call 479-PLAY (7529). Off-street parking during evening performances available at Kenneth’s Hair Salon and the Hyde Park Church of Christ.